Fleas in Room 212!

It wasn't my idea to infest the school with fleas. But it happened.

Backstory: Dr. Bertie Kingore is a guru in the field of gifted and talented education, but back in the day I am proud to say that she was my reading professor at Hardin-Simmons University. In the 1980's the amazing Bertie ventured out and introduced the avant guard idea of differentiated
instruction via learning centers or stations.



With Dr. Kingore at GT Workshop

I know, you're rolling your eyes, because learning stations are as common as jam on bread, but in the days of Saturday Night fever and shoulder pads, the concept was virtually unknown. But like everything else Bertie set her mind to do, her theories proved true and have shaken the very core of our educational system landing gifted and talented on the map...which brings me back to my flea story.


Fortunately, I landed my first teaching job fresh out of college at Provident Heights Elementary in Waco, Texas. The school was in an aging, low socio-economic part of Waco. We had no air-conditioning and if you've never been to Texas in the heat of summer, it can get so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk!

I was assigned to first grade. While the other teachers on my team were cranking out ditto packets  using blue carbon copy sheets, I was at work arranging my room into stations! I was naïve and believed that the world needed my genius which was creativity and innovation to meet the individual needs of every learner. Well, this is what Bertie had brainwashed her students to believe!

I recall a variety of learning stations: listening station, puzzle station, painting/art station, reading station, music station, building blocks/Lego station, mystery station, play dough/clay station, cooking station and yes, a sandbox station.

My sandbox was more like a plastic, oblong rectangular trough that was raised above the ground on wooden stilts. I had a drop cloth underneath to catch grains that inevitably fell in the course of learning.

The learning objective was to have a multi-sensory approach to allow my six-year-olds to trace their spelling words into the sand with an occasional prize hidden somewhere in the sand. It was easy to convert the sandbox/tray to a fossil hunt when teaching science about rocks and fossils which was the enrichment piece.



My principal, Mrs. Stapler (not her real name) seemed to like the idea of students moving to learn, just as long as the talking stayed at a minimum and I continued to use the math and reading primer that my team was using.

And then it happened.

The first bites happened in the reading area where my students sat on a throw rug I had picked up at a local Goodwill. I was sitting on a chair reading to my students when the bites started. In case you've never been bitten by a flea...those suckers are quick!

First you feel an isolated itch, but when you scratch there is nothing there. These little boogers are not like mosquitoes where you can hear them coming. They are tiny creatures which, I believe, are really aliens sent from the planet Fleazore, which will someday take over our planet.

I didn't report the bites at first, because I didn't know what they were. But within days, my students had spots popping up on their arms and legs and scratched more than they engaged in learning. The situation continued to the next room and it seemed like the entire first grade were scratching scabs on the playground, at lunch and their teachers began complaining. Our principal brought in an exterminator to spray over the weekend. It was determined that the fleas were nesting and hatching in my learning center!

And so it is with life. Implementing new ideas can be messy and full of set backs. If I had let all that I had learned in college leave with the fleas, I would have gone the safe route. My students would have spent the rest of the year sitting in desks, coloring work pages and live in a "one size fits all" classroom.




I confess that while I hate the fleas and the embarrassment it caused, I also gleaned wisdom on how to be a leader who encourages others to take risks and that failure is part of the pathway to success. Life is full of setbacks and we make corrections and move on.

I'm proud to say that my first grade students learned to read and write, as well as, their peers in the traditional classroom setting. The following year other teachers on my team began to implement learning stations.

 Confession Reflection:

What is the value of encouraging students and teachers to take risks? 
How do leaders/educators deal with setbacks?
Describe a learning outcome that resulted from a setback.
Why is it important to model failure? Give an example.

http://www.kingore.com/

Game On! Building Comprehension with Video Games

I confess to feeling like a fraud. At a recent literacy conference I wooed the crowd on ways video games could positively impact reading scores. The truth is that I hate video games.

In college I was a Pac Man aficionado. I lost interest during child baring years, but was quick to snatch up games like Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? and Oregon Trail because of their educational value.

When Iphones erupted on the market in 2007 I became obsessed with Angry Birds, which I am convinced was created by sinister engineers designed to make you feel stupid.

Farmville took phone gaming to a new extreme and gaming became personal. My sister-in-law was vacationing out of the country and had asked me to "see after her farm." 

I forgot to water her newly planted sprouts and they died. Our relationship hasn't been the same since.

I also confess that I'm stuck in middle school. In 1984 I graduated from Hardin-Simmons University looking forward to teaching reading...to first graders. As life so often happens, our destiny is not always as we planned or even imagined.


As a parent and educator, I can vouch that the middle school years are the most challenging. Kids are at a crossroads. Middle schoolers are child-teens desperately seeking acceptance from their peers. They are no longer motivated by smiley stickers or high-fives.

For struggling learners, middle school can be sheer torture especially when being pulled into a
reading intervention class. I describe these learners as "pencil breakers." Literally, they break pencils.

And so a paradigm shift occurs when educators band together and pledge to "do whatever it takes" to interrupt the downward spiral that can lead to utter defeat and negative behaviors.

After all, it is much "cooler" to act out and spend a day or so in detention than to reveal to the world the inability to read grade level texts. These are some of the tools I've used as a literacy coach to reach these learners.

Get Kahoot!

Using a simple and speedy ‘drag n drop’ creation tool, educators can easily create and manage ‘Kahoots’ in the form of quizzes, surveys or polls related to specific topics.

Simple quizzes can happen at the drop of a hat to get feedback or opinion, or more in depth questions for formative assessment. Content can be shared with educators, learners or colleagues globally.



This video game site couldn't be any easier to use and kids love it!
1. Log onto Kahoot!
2. Create a free account.
3. Choose a premade quiz or create your own.

Kahoot builds comprehension by teaching kids to monitor their comprehension. Instead of disengaging as with traditional teaching methods, kids engage in the learning process!



Cheat to Learn

Luke (not his real name) returned in the fall as a more confident reader. His beginning of the year reading screeners showed growth in reading comprehension and yet I never saw him with a book.

I pulled him aside and asked point blank, "What did you read over the summer? Your reading scores have sky rocketed!"
Luke shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't read. I hate to read," he said matter-of-factly.
After prodding, Luke admitted to reading game cheats to his favorite game, Minecraft.

I can hear naysayers whisper, "The student needs to be reading instructional texts that will help him pass his state assessment or that will prepare him for high school."

Reading game cheats may be unconventional, but I stand by this methodology. Luke's comprehension is increasing because he is engaged in complex texts. Luke is strengthening his ability to think critically and his vocabulary is growing exponentially.

High-interest articles can be found on the internet, as well. Here is an example:
Mind Controlled Video Games

I pitch the article by asking, "What if you could play a video game without touching the controls and control it with your mind?"

Seriously, what middle school gamer wouldn't want to read this?!?

Writing Expository Texts

The better kids read...the better they write. Carlos (not his real name) hated to write. We considered it progress if he wrote more than four sentences without disrupting the entire sixth grade classroom by making farting sounds and making his teacher consider early retirement.

Thankfully, his teacher was a kind soul who focused on growth and what he could do as opposed to what he should do. 

The prompt: "Write about an discovery that has changed your life."

A discovery that changed my life was electronics. I think that the first electronic was the phone. It allowed people to communicate. Some stuff came out like computers, t.v., radios, and finally gaming. It is entertaining, fun, and makes me think, and it helps me with hand eye cordintion. Some games alow me to play with other people like online and i can chat with my friends. if I didn't have electronics i would not be able to watch t.v. or call my friends or text my friends. I also wouldn't be able to play games with my friends. i would be very bored especialy without gaming.

Video Game Coding

Creating video games builds comprehension by engaging learners in informational texts and following written directions. Video games can be integrated into literacy circles and writing prompts could be tweaked to target unmotivated writers.

This year several of our sixth grade English Language Arts classes designed a "Hero's Journey" unit. Kids collaborated in groups to create a new hero to represent their book. In a stroke of genius, one activity was to design a video game to represent a challenge their character would need to overcome.

Several websites were introduced to the learners:
Gamefroot http://gamefroot.com/
Scratch https://scratch.mit.edu/
Stencylhttp://www.stencyl.com/

Middle school gamers come into our classroom and are bored and unengaged. If they are struggling readers, the odds of changing their outlook is next to impossible.

While I cringe at the thought of our middle schoolers hooked up to headsets and hyper focused on blowing up empires, this is a reality.

If, as educators, we can find innovative ways to integrate video game experiences in lesson design, at least we have a chance.

Remember: Technology is a TOOL for learning...not a learning OUTCOME.

Games made by Kids via Brain Pop! http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/student-made-games-2-game-making/

Confession Reflection

1. What are advantages of integrating video games into lesson design? What are some disadvantages?

2. What is one baby step educators could take to begin integrating video games into the classroom? i.e. play Kahoot, writing prompts

3. How do skills like video games help prepare learners for the real world?
Investigate how businesses such as McDonald's are using video games to prepare employees.

4. Why is it important to teach digital literacy?

Rules of Engagement: Administering State Assessments and Living to Tell About It

Disclaimer: The views I express in this blog are entirely my own.

 

Once again it's time for every student in the United States to take some form of a standardized state assessment. It's federal law and there is no way around it.

 

And so I've decided to dedicate this blog to support educators like myself who begin eating an excess amount of comfort foods like Peanut M & M's and popcorn doused in real butter.

 

Here are my "go to" set of rules which have helped me survive the yearly state assessment.

 

1. No cell phone.

The day before warn your family and friends that they will not be able to reach you while the test is in progress. Make sure they have the phone number to the front office in case of emergency.

Next, turn your cell phone off and place it somewhere out of reach, but not forgotten. Even if you are tempted to play Words with Friends for a triple word score, your phone is far out of reach.

Make a note on the inside palm of your hand with a non-permanent marker as a reminder where you placed your cell phone. This will save you the embarrassment of admitting to the whole school via mass email that you need help finding your phone.


2. Monitor closely.


Think back to the previous week's training and PowerPoint on how to administer the assessment.
Your principal will most likely allow you to dress down and wear your most comfortable shoes.


The point is to be comfortable because you will be walking around to "actively" monitor your students.

Do NOT pull out your grade book or email a parent. This is against policy and could result in losing your hard earned teaching certificate. Even if these trainings bore you to tears, take the rules seriously!

3. Keep your eye on the test.

Never leave the tests unattended, even if everyone is finished and you need to make a quick run to
relieve your bladder. Have a hall monitor or another teacher stay with the students until you return or the tests have been taken up by administration. If there are still a few students testing, you will still need to be an active monitor.


4. Control your bladder.

 

Remember the coffee you drink every morning? Well, this is the one day to go for a smaller cup with higher concentration of caffeine.

 

Depending on the size of your bladder, control your liquid intake. This includes water, sodas, power drinks, and so forth. This rule will make rule #3 easier to follow.

5. Stay calm and breathe.

Students have a sixth sense and can sense when teachers are about to crawl out of their skin. This can cause additional stress to the student, as well as, give you an ulcer.

As simple as it may seem, remember to breathe. Find a happy place in your heart to focus on in case panic starts to set in.

Warning: This is especially true when the lower reader in your class finishes in a record seventeen minutes and is convinced he or she "rocked" the test.

Most importantly, remember it is ONE test and should not define who you are as a teacher.

Now go find your cell phone.

Confession Reflection:

1. Why is it important to review policy and procedures before the test? What steps can I take to ensure these policies are followed?

2. What can I do if I am confused about a student's testing accommodation? How do I verify this information?

3. In what way can we stop state standardized scores from negatively impacting a student's self-esteem? Why is this important?
 

Secrets from the Crypt

It was a Monday when Harold (not his real name) motioned for me to join him at his locker.

Harold is GT. While most GT kids seemingly gravitated towards dinosaurs in elementary school, Harold researched Egyptian history. When the King Tut exhibit rolled thru Dallas in 2008, he was one of the first to see it.

He was also the first to tell me about every artifact he could recall from his day at the museum.

 By virtue of being in all Pre AP and GT classes, Harold can come across like a know-it-all. Sometimes I feel like he thinks he knows more than me!

 
I looked both ways as I scurried across a dangerous intersection of giggling girls on their way to 6^th
grade lunch. “What is it, Harold? What did you want to show me?”

 He looked to the left and to the right. “Mrs. Dollar, I’m going to learn to read the language,” he said in a hushed tone. “I’m going to teach myself to write it, too!”

 “What kind of language?”

”You know. The secret language.”

 Harold pulled out a brown paper lunch sack and reached inside like an archeologist excavating a rare find.

I could see the Half-Price Books sticker peeling off the weathered brown cover. I recognized it right away.

It was a Gregg Shorthand Manual.
 

 Back story:

 I was the short-hand champion in high school only because my advisory teacher, Mrs. Platemus (not her real name), insisted I take shorthand as a “career path.”


The truth was that because I played the piano, I was also a fast typist making me a perfect candidate for district competition. Typing I was good at, but learning shorthand was very much like learning a foreign language.

As much as I hated hours of practice, filling up steno pad after steno pad with pencil strokes, by sheer determination my chicken scratches slowly came to life. Sometimes when I’m tired and taking hand written notes, I slip back into my old habits and use shorthand script.

The secret language was nothing more than shorthand. Harold must have seen shorthand notes scattered across my desk.

I could certainly understand how to a 21^st century native like Harold, shorthand would look very much like something found in an Egyptian crypt!

 

I decided then and there to shoot straight. Harold was now in middle school and I’d rather break it to him early in year to prevent being teased for the duration of his middle school life.

By virtue of his obsession with Ancient Egypt and his awkward attempts to socialize, he was already wearing a target on his back. I was not going to be responsible for painting it neon orange!

 “Harold, I am very impressed that you want to write and read the types of notes I sometimes write, but I need you to know that this isn’t hieroglyphics.”

I paused, carefully choosing the right words. “This is called shorthand and is nothing more than symbols that represent sounds.”
 

Harold looked at me like I had just beamed down from another planet.” I know, Mrs. Dollar. I thought you might need someone to read and write your notes when you retire...since you don’t have Siri.”

Then it dawned on me. Harold (in his own way) respected that I was holding on to a form of communication that was now obsolete. He had chosen to learn to read and write shorthand just as the archeologists study to preserve the history and stories of the ancient Egyptians.

I confess that I still use shorthand when I’m tired and I slip back into my old habits. But I'm okay
with it.I am confident that when steno pads start popping up in 20th century time capsules or surface in antique wooden office desks and file cabinets, their history will be preserved because Harold will be there to ensure that it does.

I'm sure of it.

 

Confession Reflection:

• What other communication tools might become obsolete in the near future? i.e. cursive handwriting, word processers How will this impact how I teach today?
• How can educators help students strengthen skills sets for a career that may not even exist?
• Why is it important to embrace technology?

Building Creative and Confident 21st Century Writers

It's a scenario I've seen play out in middle school over and over again. Ask a learner to write and one of two things happen. I get the "deer in the headlights" look or get bombarded with a slew of questions like, "Is this for a grade?" and "When is it due?"

I have yet to see a face that is fearless and excited about writing. Why is this? I've pondered this question longer than I probably should have, but I think I've put my foot on at least part of the solution.

This is what I pledge to do in 2015:

1. Create a safe environment that embraces mistakes as part of the learning process.

I believe that confident writers are fearless. They know mistakes will happen but they are willing to jump anyway. They know that their attempts will be affirmed and not condoned.

In order for this to happen, the learning environment is set up in such a way to celebrate risk taking.

creative writers collaborating on a class newsletter

Trust me. One of the most difficult things for an educator to do is to step back and give learners control over their writing.

I can already hear the voice of naysayers. "How will young and inexperienced writers learn if we don't show them?" True. But we also need to step back and let young writers fall into their own style and find their voice.

The last thing we need are more cookie cutter writing samples. My goodness! We need to create writers who will stand out from the crowd!

Easier said than done, right?  Shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is imperative in order to accept imperfection and embrace the writing process. Freeing writers from fear based writing begins with an environment that celebrates taking risks!

2. Create a learning environment that focuses on growth not the grade.

I've come up with a name for an excessive focus on grading. I call it "gradidous". It seems to start in 6th grade and reaches near epidemic proportions by 8th grade.

creative writers give and get feedback from peers

Gradidous is most often the root cause of fear based writing. Symptoms include (but are no limited to) plagiarism, overt parental involvement in assignments, or worst of all, an "I don't care" attitude of the heart.

I learned this lesson from Samantha (not her real name). Samantha was the archetype perfectionist writer who relied heavily on parent coaching. I finally required journals to be left in the classroom. Samantha one upped me and asked to use technology to write. Of course! Isn't part of learning about giving voice and choice?

creative writers have voice and choice

Are you sitting down? I discovered a parent (or someone) contributing to her writing from another location using a shared google doc.

Samantha was literally having another person write for her using google docs! When Samantha discovered what she was able to do on her own, learning could take place. Furthermore, removing the "A" or "100" ball-and-chain allowed her to de-stress and find her own voice.

What does a grade say anyway?  It is far more valuable to sit down with a learner and talk thru their writing, or better yet, have writing communities for learners to support one another. Even the best of compliments are nothing but hot air without meaningful feedback that encourages and coaches on ways to polish their writing. Some of our learners may write like scribblers. Everyone is on a different stage and page in the writing process and they need to be treated as such.

Digital portfolios, writer's notebooks, reflection journals allow learners to show growth throughout the year. Keep the focus on growth!

3. Create an environment that extends beyond the classroom.

By middle school it isn't enough to have a their papers taped to grandma's refrigerator door. LearnersWhat does my writing matter? Why am I doing this? Kids need to know the expectations and purpose for the assignment.

Is the assignment to relay information about a Science experiment? (Expository) Is the purpose to share with others my feelings or write a story? (Narrative). Every writer needs to have purpose other than "it's part of the curriculum" or "it will prepare you for high school."

creative writers composing interest-driven stories

Marcus (not his real name) refused to write. Not only did he refuse to write, he was an in-your-face kid would wasn't afraid to show his contempt for writing. However, he did like to draw
.

our class "wonder wall"

Exasperated I said, "Forget that you're writing. If you can express yourself in pictures, go for it!" What happened? He doodled daily and ended up creating a series of doodles which became a graphic story with high hopes to publish one day.I truly believe that Marcus's ability to express himself was a far greater lesson than anything he could have learned thru traditional methods.

Marcus needed purpose beyond the four walls of our classroom. He needed to know that his writing mattered. Yes, there were teachers who shun this method, but when a learner is failing and emotionally heading down a destructive path...you do what's best for that child.


As the new year begins, I pledge to give learners more opportunities during the school day to blog, journal, free write, and even text. Now that I think about it, isn't writing about communication? There is an ebb and flow to every writer as they step into their own style. Fearless writing begins in the safety of a classroom where risks can be taken, growth is celebrated, and purpose goes beyond the walls of a school.

Confession Reflection:

1. Why is it important to individualize writing instruction?
2. What are some other ways writing can be measured other than grades?
3. How can writing instruction be designed to teach structure but also spark creativity?

How Not to Be A Grinch During The Holiday Season

As we enter the Yuletide season of joy and giving, let's be honest. Every last nerve in our body is about to tested. Our students are on the verge of eating excessive amounts of sugar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will be bombarded with ads for the newest, coolest toys on the internet and at their neighborhood Walmart.

Their eyes will glaze over during class with visions of robot toys that shoot lasers at annoying little sisters, or video games that blow up evil empires while simultaneously chatting with an opponent in the UK.

As engaging as we try to make our lessons, they will not be able to compete with the big man in the fat red suit sporting a white beard who owns flying reindeer.  Yes. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are all at risk of becoming a Grinch.

Before it's too late, I've pulled together five safeguards to protect our students, parents, and ourselves.

Safe Guard #1. Expand your heart.

During this holiday season, two types of students tend to emerge. The Cindy Loo Who's who are innately kind, loving, and will complete homework and projects in a timely manner. You will love these students. "Who" wouldn't?

But what about the non-Cindy Loo Who's who will fail to complete assignments, push your last button, and then go home and tell their parent that you hate them. Take a deep breath. A mentor of mine once said, "Fake it until you feel it." Act like you love The Cindy Loo Who's and the Non-Cindy Loo Who's and you'll be surprised when your heart catches up!

"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day." The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Safeguard #2. Collaborate don't isolate.

It is easy to feel like you are the only teacher on the planet who is considering early retirement (and
it's your first year) but know that you are not alone! Teachers all across the U.S. and Canada are feeling the effects, as well.

Just as you would never attempt Black Friday or Brown Thursday alone, you should not take on the days and weeks leading up to winter break alone. Go to your team and express how you are feeling. Chocolate also helps!

Safeguard #3. Be realistic. 

As excited as you are about completing an ice sculpture of the Great Wall of China in your World Geography class, this is not the time or the place.Variables like shorter attention spans, additional carbs to induce sleeping, and inevitable interruptions by your former students coming by to remind you why you love to teach, are very, very real.

Ask yourself. What assignments can wait until these variable diminish? Separate the need to do's from the I want to's and you will become far less frustrated. Taking on too much can make you feel like you are a horrible teacher, which of course, you aren't.
Safeguard #4. Be kind.

Even if you have failed miserably at Safeguards #1-#3, it is never too late to change your behavior. Before sending out the mass email and a bcc: to your principal about the teacher whose students are climbing the walls. Stop!

Before posting or emailing anything ask yourself: Is it biased? Could it be taken out of context? Is it hurtful? If you can answer one or more of these questions with a yes, you need step away from your computer, Ipad, or Iphone and take a deep breath.

This is the perfect moment to engage in a random act of kindness!

Safeguard #5. Be thankful.

Hands-down one of the best Grinch repellents is a spirit of thankfulness. Begin making a list of reasons to be thankful. Warning: While you may exude thankfulness on a normal basis, you may struggle. This isn't to say you aren't a grateful person...because you are! Remembering the reasons you are thankful is more about reminding you of the person you truly are. You are NOT a Grinch..so don't act like one!

A Thanksgiving Tribute to Charles Schultz

Every year before Thanksgiving break I give a mini lesson to my creative writing class on the Peanuts cartoon creator, Charles Schultz. I begin with something like, "Long before there were blogs, Twitter, Instagram, or the internet for that matter, there was a form of communication made entirely of paper."

I pause for dramatic effect and with all the enthusiasm I can muster up I say. "It was called a newspaper!"

At this point, eyes roll and I get the usual "Mrs. Dollar we know what a newspaper is!" Next, I stream a vintage Peanuts cartoon strip onto a screen in front of the class.


"But wait!" I say excitedly. "What you may not know is that Sunday was my favorite day because cartoons were....are you ready...they were printed in color!" 

I confess it gets harder every year to get a middle school audience excited about the Peanuts creator. If it weren't for holiday specials and parade inflatable floats, Charlie Brown, would most likely be forgotten as have many vintage cartoon characters like Lil' Abner or Blondie. But I press on because cartoonist like Charles Schultz have so much to teach us.

There is something raw and honest about his cartoons.

Charles Schultz admitted that Charlie Brown was his alter ego. I found a clip that shows the artist sketching Charlie. He says,"Charlie Brown is I think a little bit like everyone. We all need reassurance to know that someone likes us." http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4221600

As my family prepares for our holiday meal, we have A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on the television. Once again, Charlie Brown feels like he's ruined everything. I think we all have felt this way at one time or another. I know I have.And once again we are reminded of the true reason we celebrate:

 Charlie Brown: I don't feel bad for myself, I just feel bad because I've ruined everyone's Thanksgiving.

Marcie Brown: But Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by 'Thanksgiving,' Charlie Brown.


Charles Schultz once wrote a brief quiz that went something like this:

Name three Nobel prize winners.
Name the three wealthiest people in the world.
Name this year's Heisman trophy finalists.

Then he asked three more questions:

Name three teachers who affected your life.
Name three friends who stood by you.
Name three people you like to be around.

Charles Shultz believed that celebrities don't make the biggest impact on our lives. The people close to us do. The people we live and work with and those who care about us are the ones who matter most.

And to this I say, "You're a good man, Charles Schultz!"

To learn more about this incredible man check out HuffPost's 20 Things You Didn't Know About Charles Schultz